Chapter 14

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Chapter 14: Symbol Magic

“The Zhou family is just spouting nonsense.”

“Nobody believes their lies.”

Inside Lin Die’s courtyard, Lin Ying was angrily ranting about the Zhou family, convinced that they were spreading falsehoods. She suspected that Zhou Quan, the old man, had likely never faced the Iron Wood Demon Wolf, and there had been no real battle or defeat—he simply betrayed the Lin family.

“Old Ten, calm down. Dad must have a plan.”

“Yes, Lin Ying, try not to overreact.”

Lin Jiang nodded in agreement. He also did not believe the Zhou family’s claims. However, even if he didn’t believe them, now was not the right moment to take action. The Lin family’s foundation was still fragile. Among the Lin family descendants, only four had reached the Foundation Building stage. They were not strong enough.

Lin Batian likely understood this too, which is why he hadn’t exploded in anger and instead chose to endure the situation.

“I won’t forget this grudge. It’s not something that can be easily settled.”

Lin Ying was still very upset. After all, blood ties ran deep. Several young members of the Lin family had died—siblings and nieces. She was determined to avenge them.

“We’ll deal with the grudge later. Let’s focus on recovering first.”

“Third Sister, make sure to rest well. I’ll head back first. Lin Ying, do you want to rest at home, or would you prefer coming with me to Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa?”

“I’ll go check on Mom.”

“Let’s go together.”

Lin Jiang nodded and led Lin Ying back to Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa. Zhuang Rong, upon hearing that the two families wouldn’t engage in a conflict, felt relieved.

She wasn’t concerned with vengeance. Her main worry was for her children. The Zhou family was powerful, and if a fight broke out, the Lin family would suffer significant losses.

Lin Batian, knowing Lin Ying was at Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa, had sent some medicine for her injuries and advised her to take good care of herself.

Lin Ying’s injuries were not severe, and rest was all she needed. She would likely recover fully in two to three months at most. At the moment, she was energetic and lively.

However, Lin Ying was taking advantage of the situation to indulge in some laziness. At Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa, she enjoyed the greatest favor. Her mother was present, and her older brother was by her side. She basked in love and didn’t want to rush her recovery.

At Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa, Lin Jiang stood by the window, looking out. Zhuang Rong and Lin Ying were chatting by the fire. They had even caught and roasted several chickens and ducks from the farm. Lin Ying’s knack for causing trouble was equal to that of two playful cats.

This warm scene made Lin Jiang feel at ease. If he had a choice, he would want to maintain this peaceful life forever. But in reality, Lin Jiang was also thinking about how he might leave the Lin family behind.

At forty-five years old, Lin Jiang had been growing his beard to make himself appear older and more mature, hiding his secret. Otherwise, he would still look like he was seventeen, which would be odd for someone his age. Even for cultivators who maintained their youth, such an appearance would be difficult to explain.

Lin Jiang could pass for a middle-aged man, but what would happen as he grew older? By the time he reached sixty in the Qi Refining stage, his vitality would rapidly decline, and his aging would accelerate, unless he spent a lot of money on an Appearance Adjustment Pill.

But Lin Jiang was a man, and men usually didn’t care about their appearance. The majority of buyers for such pills were women, like Zhuang Rong.

Even if he used this excuse, it wouldn’t delay the inevitable. The lifespan of cultivators was typically around one hundred years, and even those who took excellent care of their health could only live to one hundred and twenty at most. Those were the rare exceptions.

Lin Jiang didn’t think he could reach the Foundation Building stage before the age of one hundred. Even if he pushed himself, his natural aptitude would still be a limiting factor.

Thus, Lin Jiang had been pondering for some time about how to free himself and what to do afterward. Without the Lin family’s protection, he would face many challenges in the future, such as ensuring his safety and earning a living.

Currently, he was dependent on the Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa. He didn’t need to worry about food or drink, and the cultivation resources were abundant. He even had some savings each year. But what would he do once he no longer had this property? These were questions he needed to consider carefully.

“I need to use the Appearance Fixing Pill. That way, I can delay aging for several decades. Zhuang Rong has been kind to me, and I must ensure that I care for her in her old age. Then, I can save enough money and eventually break free. By then, I could go to Anhua City or other major cultivation cities and start my own business or open a shop.”

After thinking about it for a long time, Lin Jiang made up his mind. The most important reason for using the Appearance Adjustment Pill was to care for Zhuang Rong in her old age. Lin Jiang recognized the deep affection she had for him, and he felt the need to repay her kindness.

Currently, Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa earned over eight hundred spirit stones every year. With Lin Jiang’s expenses, he could save around five hundred spirit stones annually. In a few decades, it wouldn’t be difficult to accumulate tens of thousands of spirit stones when he left. That amount would be more than enough for him to settle elsewhere.

“We also need to look into another form of protection. I think symbol magic could be a good solution.”

At once, Lin Jiang considered his need for safety. Over the past two years, he had focused more on practicing spells and swordsmanship. Although he hadn’t had much actual combat experience, he felt that his progress in the mid-stage of Qi Refining was satisfactory. After all, other cultivators hadn’t spent as much time on spells and swordsmanship. Years of practice would not be wasted.

However, it was still not enough. With his current cultivation level, facing someone from a higher realm would be futile, no matter how proficient he was with his spells. The disparity in strength between both sides would be too great.

Thus, other methods were necessary. Lin Jiang thought of symbol magic. Of the Four Arts of Cultivating Immortals—Pills, Talismans, Items, and Formations—only symbol magic could directly enhance a cultivator’s combat abilities. A single spiritual talisman could be activated with just a bit of spiritual consciousness and energy.

Over the years, Lin Jiang had purchased many spiritual talismans. In addition to Rain Talismans for farming, there were also talismans used for offense and self-defense. With his limited financial resources, buying them in large quantities was not feasible. Drawing talismans himself was the most practical option.

“Hey, do you want to learn symbol magic?”

When Lin Ying heard that Lin Jiang was interested in learning to draw talismans, her eyes lit up. She was a Talisman Maker herself.

Lin Batian was very strict with his children. When they reached the Foundation Building stage, they had to choose a craft to study among Pill, Talisman, Item, and Formation. Lin Die had chosen alchemy, while Lin Ying decided to focus on symbol drawing. They had both been learning for several years and had made notable progress.

“Jiang-er, symbol magic is a great choice. Your grandfather was an excellent talisman maker, and his skills reached the middle grade of the second level. The dowry your mother received was earned from the symbols he created. If you want to learn, I can teach you the symbol magic that your grandfather left behind.”

Zhuang Rong also approved. Her father had been able to provide her with a substantial dowry because he was an exceptional talisman maker.

Although Alchemy was the most profitable among the Four Arts, those skilled in any of the other three crafts would never be short of money.

“Thank you, Mother. It would be wonderful if my sister could teach me the basics.”

Lin Jiang didn’t decline. Cultivation methods in the world of immortals were tricky. Learning them without a strong foundation was nearly impossible, and the talent requirements were very high.

Lin Ying’s ability to learn was largely due to Lin Batian’s efforts. The Lin family had specifically recruited a talisman maker as an advisor, offering a substantial sum to persuade him to teach Lin Ying real skills.

“Hehe, no problem. But remember, if you don’t listen, I’ll have to discipline you. As a master, it’s my responsibility to punish you.”

Lin Ying laughed and assumed the pose of an old sage, pretending to lecture Lin Jiang, which made Zhuang Rong burst into laughter.

Later, Zhuang Rong retrieved her father’s talisman-making materials from the bottom of a box and gave them to Lin Jiang. She didn’t give them to Lin Ying, which made Lin Ying feel jealous. However, she quickly got over it because she wasn’t particularly skilled at drawing symbols. She preferred cultivation and the thrill of breakthroughs in her realm.

Lin Jiang bought talisman paper, a talisman pen, and talisman ink, and began learning how to draw symbols with Lin Ying. He studied for two hours during the day and practiced for two hours on his own at night. To focus more on this, he delegated tasks like farming to Lin Baohua. For things beyond the capability of mortals, he bought spiritual talismans as substitutes.

It was unclear if it was a family trait, but Lin Jiang’s talent for drawing symbols seemed to surpass Lin Ying’s. In just half a month, he successfully drew his first spiritual talisman, whereas it had taken Lin Ying a full year.

This made Lin Ying even more upset. Why didn’t she inherit this talent from their parents?

While Lin Ying recuperated for three months at Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa, Lin Jiang had already learned to draw five types of spiritual talismans. It had taken Lin Ying six years to master the same five types.